AHMED AL KAABI
MUSCAT, OCT 7
Omani players made a strong start to the Junior Tennis Championship 2026, with Reema al Hashmi and Emmad al Rahbi recording two victories each as competition began at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher on Tuesday.
Organised by the Oman Tennis Association, the tournament brings together 46 boys and girls of different nationalities and continues until Thursday, October 8. It follows the mini tennis, Under-9 and Under-10 competitions held earlier this month.
In the girls’ Under-14 category, Reema defeated Russia’s Ekaterina Krutkova 9-5 before overcoming Kazakhstan’s Zhibek Nurgaliyeva 9-1. Kazakhstan’s Salima Sadykova also beat Krutkova 9-4, while Thalya El Khouly registered a 9-4 victory over Nurgaliyeva.
Talya al Busaidi opened her girls’ Under-18 campaign with a 9-2 win against Sadykova, while Areen al Zakawi defeated Salma al Riyami 9-5.
Sara al Maskari came through one of the closest matches of the opening day, beating Aaminah Khanzadah 9-7 in the girls’ Under-12 competition. Savannah defeated Mia El Khouly 9-1, while Jocelyn Belford overcame El Khouly 9-0.
In the boys’ Under-14 event, Munther al Amri recorded a 9-0 victory over Kushagra. Emad al Rahbi matched that score against Nidhal Abdullah before defeating Said al Muttawa 9-1 to complete his second win.
Abdulrahman al Rahbi beat Britain’s Euan Belford 9-1 in the boys’ Under-18 category, while Mutaz al Mazroui overcame Bader al Hinai 9-4.
The boys’ Under-12 results included a 9-2 victory for Rudraash over Elyas, a 9-1 win for Hood al Hashmi against Saeed al Marjibi and a 9-4 success for Al Bian over Muhannad al Najjar. Russia’s Iurii also defeated India’s Kushagra.
National coach Mohammed al Falahi praised the Omani players’ performances and highlighted the participation of around six young Omanis from Suhar in the junior competition for the first time.
He said, the Omani players have shown a very good and encouraging standard. This year, we have around six players from Suhar, all Omanis, making their first appearance in the junior competition.
Al Falahi noted that players from Suhar had previously participated in open tournaments, with the current event providing opportunities for younger competitors.
He said growing participation helped spread the game and gave players a wider range of opponents, allowing them to build on their training through competitive matches.
He added: "The more players take part, the more opportunities there are to face new opponents and gain experience. Players need these matches alongside their training.
“Every match helps them gain experience and confidence, whether they win or lose. Match experience is very important in tennis, and tournaments provide those opportunities.”
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